The Burning of Artemis’ Temple

The Temple of Artemis stood 425 feet long with 127 marble columns reaching 60 feet high.

Built in 550 BC, it took 120 years to complete and was considered more magnificent than

the Parthenon. The roof alone weighed thousands of tons, supported by columns wider than a person's

embrace. Inside, a massive gold and ivory statue of Artemis dominated

the main hall. Priests conducted rituals while merchants traded beneath its shadow.

Then in 356 BC, a man named Herostratus burned it down just to be remembered by history.

Sometimes the greatest wonders fall to the smallest acts of madness.